Skirting Around the Subject
by Atomsk-sama
Summary: Okies! I WILL CONTINUE THIS FIC! Kagome and Inu Yasha are always skirting around their feelings for one another. Well, it finally blows up when they realize that they're in love with each other. And what about Sango and Miroku! CHAPTER 8 UPLOADED!
1. The Midnight Fight

I don't own Inu Yasha or any of the characters related to this series.BUT I WISH I DID!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 1 - The Midnight Fight  
  
'There he is again.that man. All I can see is his shadow and a bright white light surround him.'  
  
Kagome started to run to this mysterious stranger, but could not get any closer to him. The faster she ran, the farther away he became, until everything became pitch black. She was awakened with a startle and sat up quickly. Beads of sweat were pouring down her face and down inside her school uniform. Her heart was beating rapidly and her breathing was heavy as if she had gone for a long jog. She looked around and saw that everyone was sleeping. They had to camp underneath the edge of a cliff. It had been a long day and the village wasn't for another day's journey.  
  
She quietly got out of her sleeping bag and walked along a path with a few trees and a stream running along the side of it. She stopped and looked up at one of the trees.  
'There he is.that dog demon that started this whole journey.' She thought.  
She looked down as her mind turned over thoughts of anger and rage for just thinking about him.  
'Oh! He makes me so mad sometimes!'  
Then she looked up again. He was sleeping. He looked so peaceful just laying on the tree branch; his beautiful silver hair moving at just the slightest touch of the wind. She noticed one strand stray away from the others and land just across the bridge of his nose. For some reason, she just wanted to brush it away from his peaceful countenance. His face had an expression she had only seen once before. It was relaxed as though he didn't have a care in the world. It was the same expression she had seen the first time she ever saw him.  
'The way he looks right now makes it seem as though he isn't the selfish jerk I know.'  
Kagome let out a sigh. "If only Inu Yasha were a wonderful man. Maybe even like the one in my dream. Sadly enough, I know that will never happen." She said to herself.  
Just as she was finishing her sentence, Inu Yasha's ears twitched at the disturbance. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Kagome standing there. He stretched his arms and rubbed his eyes lazily. With a sleepy voice he asks, "What are you doing up?"  
She was startled to realize that he was awake. She takes a step back and says nervously, "I.I couldn't sleep"  
'God I hope he didn't hear me! I don't need to get into an argument right now.' She thinks to herself.  
He jumped out of the tree and landed in front of her. He lifted up an eyebrow as if questioning her last remark. He then shook his head as if to disregard any more intruding thoughts.  
"You really should get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow" he says.  
"I know, but, like I said, I can't sleep." She replied with a quiver in her voice.  
"Are you OK?"  
"Who me? I'm fine! Just a little restless I guess." She says with a little giggle in her voice, trying to hide her nervousness.  
'If it wasn't for those damn dreams, I wouldn't be standing here having Inu Yasha ask me if I'm OK. Wait a minute.he's concerned?'  
She looks at him awkwardly, wanting to ask him, yet a little afraid to. He takes notice of this action and begins to eye her suspiciously.  
'Why is she looking at me like that? I didn't do anything, did I?' he ponders.  
"What are you staring at?!" he yells.  
At first, she was startled by his action, then the anger she had once felt before, blew up inside of her.  
"I was just thinking! Gods! You are such a jerk sometimes. And here I am thinking that you might have actually been concerned!" Kagome yells back.  
"So what if I was?!" he says extremely annoyed.  
Kagome would have had a retort, but his last statement caught her off guard.  
"You.you were worried?"  
Now Inu Yasha was the one taken aback.  
'Shit! Why did I just say that?! Why did I show any emotion?!'  
As if to make the situation worse, he blurts out the first thing that came into his head. "Well.uh.if there was something wrong, then we wouldn't be able to go and collect the jewel shards!"  
'Ah shit! Now I'm in for it!' he thinks.  
Kagome gives out a low growl. "That's all you care about?! SIT! SIT! SIT!"  
And low and behold, the mighty hero now has his face pummeled several feet into the ground as Kagome storms off.  
'Ohhh! He pisses me off so much! Why can't he act like a gentleman and treat me with respect for once in a while! I can't believe I fell in love with that asshole!' Now her last remark stops her right in her tracks.  
"What did I just think?! But that's impossible! I couldn't love a selfish jerk like that?"  
She continues to walk again, lost in her thoughts. When she finally arrived at the camp site, she decided to lay down inside her sleeping bag. Shippou stirred a bit, but quickly fell back into his state of slumber. Kagome turned towards the fire, staring blankly at it while she thought about what just happened. Soon, however, drowsiness began to overcome her and she fell fast asleep. 


	2. Regretful Words and Goobye

On with the fic!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 2 - Regretful Words and Goodbye  
  
Kagome finally woke up after a night of bad happenings. She looked around to see that Shippou is running in terror as Inu Yasha chases after him.  
"Come back here twerp! I dare you to say that to my face!"  
Kagome then groans. "Another wonderful day in Feudal Japan," she says to herself. Just as she was finishing her comment, she hears Sango scream and then *WHACK*.  
"Stupid lecher! How many times do I have to tell you to stop grabbing my ass!" she screams.  
Miroku was laying on the ground seeing stars with a red handprint on his face. "My.my apologies Lady Sango." He replies.  
Kagome finally decides to crawl out of her sleeping back and begins to pack up. By that time, Inu Yasha had caught up to Shippou and now, the poor little fox had three big bulges resting on the side of his head.  
"Kagome! When are we having breakfast?!" cries Inu Yasha.  
Kagome stood up and just glared at him. Her anger was boiling up again. She was just about ready to give him the sitting of a lifetime, but she stopped and sighed. "Soon Inu Yasha.soon." She then began to walk towards the direction of the forest. Inu Yasha just stood there dumbfounded.  
'What did she just say? I was expecting her to sit me. Is there something wrong with her? Maybe I should go ask.' He thought. With that, Inu Yasha started to jog after her.  
"Where's Inu Yasha going?" asked Shippou.  
"Probably to follow Kagome. I'm guessing they'll probably get into another fight," remarked Sango.  
"Maybe I should go stop him. She looked angry to me." Said Shippou.  
"No. Let them quarrel it out themselves. It sounds very tempting though," said Miroku with a smirk.  
"Absolutely not. Its their own personal problems." Said Sango.  
Shippou began to whine. Sango bent over to pick him up and as she was about to, she felt Miroku's hand on her butt once again. "*WHACK* Miroku was on the ground seeing stars for the second time that morning.  
  
Inu Yasha finally caught up to Kagome just as the camp was becoming out of sight. He stopped dead in his tracks when he caught the her scent with a little added saltiness. 'She's crying? Gods, I hope I didn't do this to her.'  
He reached his hand out to her shoulder and whispered her name. She jumped and turned around with a look of shock registered on her face.  
"What.what are you.doing herer? She said while trying to wipe away her tears and prevent others from falling. She tried to make a little smile to show him she was okay. She saw the look on his face saying I don't believe you.  
'Why did you run after me. Its not like you really care about what happens to me.' She thought. She then had a flashback of her thoughts as she was walking back to camp last night. She felt as thought she was ready to cry all over again.  
'I do love him. I still can't believe it. How did this happen?' Tears began to well up in her eyes.  
"Kagome," Inu Yasha said with a soft tone showing deep concern. She couldn't hold herself together after that. His tone of voice touched something deep inside of her. The tears started to pour down her face as she stood there and cried.  
"You big jerk!" she screamed. Inu Yasha was taken aback by her last statement. 'What did I do now?' he thought. His ears twitched expecting her to 'Sit' him. Instead she began to pound her fists into his chest and screamed at him.  
"Why do you have to be such a jerk. Hojo.and.and even Kouga treat me better than you!" Kagome screamed.  
Inu Yasha grabbed both of her wrists to stop her from hitting him again. She looked up into his beautiful amber eyes. She didn't see a look of complete anger, although it was evident. Instead, she saw a look that moreso told her she had sliced through his heart with a sword. He loosened his grip, then pushed her away. Slowly, he turned, then walked away.  
"Then why don't you go find one of them." He said coldly.  
Kagome still stood in her place even after he disappeared from her view.  
  
Ookami She-Wolf Banshee - I would like to say thanks for your review! And yes, I do end up being pretty busy in college. It's a lot of fun though! Hehe I'm happy where I am. I just wish that mid-terms weren't like two or three weeks away.  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	3. Heading Back

Well, all I can say is on with the fic!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 3 - Heading Back  
  
'What did I just do?' Kagome thought to herself.  
Now the tears were flowing ten times as fast as before. She started running in the direction of the camp. She gained speed as she flew down a path on a hill. It was probably the fastest she had ever run in her life; even after all of those times she was chased by demons.  
"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha!" Kagome screamed as she neared the camp site.  
Sango, Miroku, and Shippou heard her screams and ran towards her.  
"Kagome! Are you all right?" they said in unison.  
At this point, Kagome was well past worn out and collapsed onto her knees. Tears were still streaming down her face.  
"Where's Inu Yasha?" Kagome cried.  
"We have not seen Inu Yasha since he went to follow you," said Miroku.  
"What happened?" asked Sango.  
"I'll make him pay when I find him!" yelled Shippou. He hated it when his surrogate mother cried because of Inu Yasha.  
"Shippou no! It was my fault." She said.  
'It's all my fault. I wish I never got angry. Gods why was I such a baka?" she thought.  
"Should we go look for him?" asked Miroku. Just then, a slight, yet cold breeze blew in and sent a chill up Kagome's spine.  
"No. He's not coming back. We won't be able to find him." Said Kagome sadly. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou exchanged glances at one another, and then turned their eyes back to Kagome. Kagome let out a loud sigh. The tears had finally stopped coming down her face, but everything inside of her was tense and in a pain that no one could heal. Well, no one but a certain dog demon.  
"We should keep on heading back to the village." Kagome said with a hint of misery still in her voice. "Right now, he doesn't want to be found, but he knows where we'll be."  
Kagome stood up and staggered a little. Sango reached out to try and help, but Kagome pushed her away. Eventually, she regained her balance and composure and walked to the campsite. She finished her packing and waited for the others to be ready. When everything was done, they headed for the village. However, in Kagome's mind, it was the Bone-Eaters well that she intended to get back to.  
  
End of Chapter. What's going to happen next? Buwahaha! Even I don't know!  
  
insano500 - I just wanted to say thanks for the review and I'm glad that you like it so far!  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	4. Inu Yasha's Epiphany

Well, I guess I'm posting two chapters today! Lucky me, this is what I did in my class. See, classes are useful for something.  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 4 ~ Inu Yasha's Epiphany  
  
Inu Yasha had slowly walked away from her, but then burst into a run. He ran away from Kagome, but also away from everyone else. He needed time to himself to sort through what he was feeling.  
"I can't believe she said that to me." He said aloud to himself. "Am I really treating her that bad?" He began to think back on the time they spent together as this journey for the jewel shards went along. He thought about how they fought side by side and collected the jewel shards together. He thought about how many times he had saved her when danger was near.  
"Feh.I don't know what she's talking about." Inu Yasha said to himself.  
However, there was a tugging on his heart. He then drifted back to his thoughts of Kagome and him. He then began to remember all the fights that they had. How he had tried to show no emotion to her and spoke to her coldly. He had ordered her around more often than not and rarely, if ever, gave her a compliment. He remembered the fight they had last night. He knew he had hurt her. He had wanted to reach out to her and apologize. He wanted to hold her, show her exactly how much she meant to him. But his pride had gotten in the way.again.  
He put up his defensive wall to keep her out. He was afraid for her to get too close. The only other person to become close to him was Kikyo. But Kikyo broke his heart, even after she learned that Naraku had tricked them. He still cares for the miko, but has long since lost hope for them to be together. Now, he just wanted to protect her now so she could rest in peace. He was willing to go to Hell with her before, but now.he wasn't sure if he could leave Kagome. He finally realized that the Kikyo he loved had been long gone for a while. Fifty years to be exact. She is nothing but a soulless piece of flesh.  
Kagome, however, is a different story. She is full of life and energy. And her scent.it drives him wild when she is near. He is able to control himself most of the time, but there have been periods where he had to keep his distance to resist the urge to take her and make her his mate. He had tried to protect her from his youkai side. Mostly, though, he wanted, and still does, to protect her.period. Now a day, he just wants to see that she is happy and that fire inside of her is always flaring.  
"Is this what love is? What I felt for Kikyo was different. I.I'm in love with Kagome." Inu Yasha whispers to himself. "More than I could have ever loved Kikyo."  
With that, he began to run back.back to her. He must apologize. He remembers the look on her face.that look of pain and torment. He doesn't want to put her through that again.ever. He began to run faster and faster, using his nose, he traces her scent. Her intoxicating scent. He started to realize most of his surroundings and saw Kaede's village in sight. He began to feel uneasy which made him push himself to the breaking point.  
He finally arrived at the village, but could not find Kagome. He eventually caught up to Sango, Miroku, and Shippou coming out of the forest.  
"Hey! Where's Kagome?!" he yelled.  
They all looked at him; sadness was clearly registered on their faces. Then he caught her scent.no her blood. With that he ran into the forest as fast as he could while screaming her name. The sun was finally setting from a long and hard day.  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	5. A Rescue? Not Exactly

Wah! I don't own Inu Yasha or any of the characters that are related to this series. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?  
  
I don't have a lot of reviews. I would appreciate some constructive criticism though. This is actually my first fanfic that I wrote here. I'm more or less curious to see what you guys like or dislike about these stories and I want to know how to improve them. Please send me reviews!  
  
On with the fic!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 5 - A Rescue? Not Exactly.  
  
"Argh! Damn well! Now I cut my hands again!" Kagome said.  
She let out a big sigh and pulled herself and her enormous yellow backpack out of the well. She then proceeded to her house. She slowly opened the door to reveal a rather quiet house.  
"Mom? Grandpa? Souta? Where are you guys?" Kagome yelled.  
The only reply she had was the sound of crickets chirping, signaling that night was fast approaching. She let out yet another sigh and dropped her bag by the door. Then it dawned on her.  
'I have the house to myself!' she thought excitedly.  
She immediately ran upstairs to the bathroom, pouring herself a tub of hot water with bubble bath in it. She ran to her room as the bathtub was filling and collected aromatherapy candles, some oils, her sweet strawberry shampoo and conditioner, and her bathrobe.  
She came back to the bathroom and turned the hot water off. She proceeded to discard her clothing into a pile on the floor near the bathtub. She then, slowly but surely stepped into the hot water and submerged herself down into it. Soon the pinch on her skin from the water melted away and she began to relax.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'The scent is getting stronger. I'm almost there!' thought Inu Yasha.  
Inu Yasha's heart was racing. The Bone-Eater's well was in sight. He slowed down and came to a halt right in front of it. He sniffed the air only to have the scent of Kagome's blood fill his nostrils.  
"I'm coming Kagome!" Inu Yasha screamed. With that, he jumped into the well and passed over to present day Japan. When he emerged, he took one leap and was at the entrance to the well house. He threw open the door and ran to Kagome's house.  
'I'm almost there; I can smell her.' He thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome slowly opened her eyes. "I must have fallen asleep. That's not too good. Well, at least I didn't drown." She giggled to herself.  
She emerged from the bathtub and took a towel to dry off. She then took another towel to wrap around herself. She used the towel she originally had to dry her hair.  
'She's near.' Inu Yasha ran through her house and followed her scent up stairs. His light weight footsteps gave no sound, thus not warning Kagome that Inu Yasha was within feet of her.  
Kagome finished drying her hair. She went over to hang the towel over the edge of the tub. A loud crash came from behind her and she stood up and whirled around just as the dust began to settle. There he was. The red fire rat haori hiding a well-toned figure. That gorgeous silver hair that flows softly when the wind touches it. Those cute fuzzy ears that were twitching wildly in this second. Those lips, the ones she longed to taste.to feel.to never let go of. And those eyes; those amber orbs that were shimmering in the light. Then she looked at him as a whole. He had a look of worry written all over his face. He advanced towards her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. A look of puzzlement was written all over her face.  
"Are you okay? I smelt your blood from the village." He said. She was too awestruck to answer. She was still mesmerized by those eyes. They showed fear. 'Fear of what?' Kagome asked herself.  
"Kagome! Answer me!" He yelled. She immediately pulled away from him.  
"What the hell are you doing here?!" she cried.  
Inu Yasha was startled. He gave her a very confused look. His face then became as red as a tomato as he looked at what she was wearing.  
'Wow. She has a gorgeous body. I mean I've seen it before, but I never had this good of a look at her. Does she realize how beautiful she is? I'm surprised that she doesn't have anyone courting her. Of course, I wouldn't mind making her my mate. That way I could see that luscious body all of the time.Wait a minute! I've been hanging around Miroku too much!" He berated himself. At this point, his facial expression became stern, yet extremely upset. He remembered what he had said to her.  
Kagome took notice of when his face turned red and then emotional. She then looked down at herself only to realize that she was wearing nothing but a towel all this time. She screamed and slapped him across the face followed by several 'SITS'.  
"Grr.Hey what did you do that for?!" Screamed Inu Yasha.  
"Well, you shouldn't have just burst in here unannounced and then gawk at me like that! I'm almost naked!" Screamed Kagome.  
"Well it's not like your skirt hides any more that that! Besides I was worried about you!" He screamed back in her face.  
Kagome apparently disregarded the latter of that statement and what she had heard made her angrier. "Oh what! So now you're looking at me when before you couldn't stand the sight of me?!"  
"What do you mean?! I can't help but look at you! And if you're not around, then you're in my mind!" He screamed back.  
Kagome heard that and was taken aback; all she could do was stare at him awestruck. Inu Yasha's face was slightly red and his breathing was heavier than normal because of all the screaming. His ears were twitching back and forth and his eyes showed a fiery passion that Kagome only saw when he was in battle. At that moment, she realized just how beautiful he was and why she fell in love with him. It was the passion he held for the things that meant the most to him. She also noticed that it took Inu Yasha a couple of seconds to realize what he had said. A slight blush crept onto his face and his eyes darted away from hers.  
'What did I just say?! She looks almost scared!' His mind screamed. 'I wish I didn't say anything!'  
"Inu Yasha." Kagome said in barely a whisper. Lucky for him, his dog ears caught on to her voice. He slowly started to back away from her. He didn't know why, but he was afraid of what she would say to him. He was scared.scared of the fact that she might be like Kikyo. He turned and with his back to her, he started to run out of the room.  
"Inu Yasha! SIT!" Kagome screamed when she noticed he was about to dash out of the room. Now, he had his face on the floor admiring the tiles in the bathroom. Kagome bent down next to him and started to caress his silky silver hair.  
"Inu Yasha.please don't run. We have to talk." Kagome said in a soft, loving voice.  
"Feh.We don't have anything to talk about.And why did you sit me?" He replied. He was trying to sound stern, but her gentle hand against his hair was making him relax and go numb. He didn't even try to get up after the spell wore off. He just laid there with his eyes closed, enjoying the moment and sensations that Kagome was causing. After a few minutes, Kagome stopped caressing his locks of hair. His eyes shot open at the immediate ceasing of her hand.  
"Why did you stop?" He asked looking up.  
Kagome stood up, grabbed her bathrobe and put it on over her towel. She tied her robe and let the towel drop from underneath it.  
"We still have to talk. If you are willing to talk, I promise there will be more of that. Besides, my hand was getting tired." She said and walked out of the room. He stood up dumbfounded for a minute and then bounded after her towards her room. When he walked in, Kagome had just finished blow drying her hair. She walked over to her bed and sat down on it and motioned for Inu Yasha to sit down next to her. Instead, he crouched down right in front of her with his ears giving a slight twitch. He was looking down, suddenly finding his feet more interesting.  
Kagome let a small sigh escape her lips and lifted his chin up with her hand until their eyes met.  
'My gods her eyes are so beautiful. It feels like I get lost in them every time I look at her. Why can't I tear myself away from her gaze? Oh yea.I almost forgot about how much I love her.' Inu Yasha thought.  
'I want to ask why he's here, especially after what I had said to him. It was pretty mean. I can't even believe he came to see if I was all right. But I can't help look into his eyes. They're so gorgeous.' She thought.  
Just when it seemed like that moment could last forever, the phone rang. It startled both of them and Inu Yasha jumped away from her. Kagome got up and answered the phone.  
"Hello?"  
"Kagome! You're home! I had a feeling you might be there so I called." It was Kagome's mother.  
"Hi! Yeah.I'm home, but maybe not for long. It all depends." Replied Kagome as she turned to look at Inu Yasha. He was busy looking around her room.  
"Well that's good. I'm sorry to say that your grandfather, Souta and I won't be there. Souta is sleeping over a friend's house and your grandfather and I had some business to take care of for the shrine. Since it will be very late by the time we'd finish up, we will be staying over until tomorrow." Kagome's mom said.  
"Okay! Well, have fun!" Replied Kagome.  
"We will. Goodbye honey! I love you!"  
"I love you too mom. Bye." With that, Kagome hung up the phone. She turned to see Inu Yasha looking at her.  
"That was my mother. No one will be home tonight so we have the place to ourselves." Kagome said with half a giggle in her voice.  
"You mean.you want me to stay here?" Asked Inu Yasha.  
"Sure! Why not? What can go wrong with you here to protect me? You can be my guard dog."  
Inu Yasha smiled a wicked smile at that comment. "Oh you'll pay for that last remark, Kagome. Start running!"  
Kagome took a huge gulp of air and paled. She slowly inched her way to the door and when she got there, she bolted out of her room and down the stairs. Inu Yasha gave her a five second head start and ran after her.  
  
End Chapter  
  
You know what to do! Please review!  
  
Author: If you do, I can make the story better! I'm on my hands and knees begging!  
  
Inu Yasha: Feh, begging like a dog.  
  
Author: What?! You should talk dog boy!  
  
Inu Yasha: Say that to my face wench! It's not my fault everyone hates your story!  
  
Author: You're making me cry! Waaahhh!  
  
Kagome: Inu Yasha 'SIT!'  
  
*Crash*  
  
Author: *sniff sniff* Thanks Kagome. So until next time! Please review! 


	6. A Normal Conversation

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or any of the characters related to this anime. But like I said, I wish I did!!!  
  
Author: I would like to say thank you to the people who reviewed!  
  
Inu Yasha: Feh! Only a couple of people reviewed! You're not popular at all!  
  
Author: *Lunges at Inu Yasha and clamps a hand on his mouth* We don't need to discuss my high school career! It was bad enough as it is!  
  
Inu Yasha: *Bites author*  
  
Author: Owwwiieee! What did you do that for?!  
  
Inu Yasha: What you didn't know I would bite?! I'm a demon for crying out loud!  
  
Author: *bandages hand while sniffling* Well you didn't have to make it bleed?!  
  
Inu Yasha: You're fault.  
  
Author: Is not.  
  
Inu Yasha: Is too.  
  
(six hours later)  
  
Author: Is not.  
  
Inu Yasha: Is too.  
  
Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Shippou: Will you guys shut up so we can read the story! Sheesh!  
  
Author: @_@  
  
Inu Yasha: @_@  
  
Author: On with the fic!  
  
Everyone: Thank god!  
  
Author: Hey! I heard that!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 6 - A Normal Conversation  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Feudal Era Japan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun was setting and a slight breeze brush up against Sango's back. She gave a slight shiver. Even though they had a camp fire running, she still felt a little cold. Miroku, however, took notice of her slight twitch and got up. He removed his purple robe (HENTAI'S! He still has clothes on! Well, at least for now, hehe) and place it around her shoulders.  
  
"You don't need to do that monk. I am fine." replied Sango, being happy that he cared enough to make sure she was warm, but did not want to show it.  
  
"My apologies Lady Sango, it looked as though you were cold and I thought that this might warm you up." responded Miroku.  
  
"I don't need your help. I'm fine the way I am." She said with a little bit of irritation held in her voice.  
  
"You know Sango, you don't have to act this way all of the time. Besides, its not like Inu Yasha or Kagome are here and Shippou is in Kaede's hut tonight. "  
  
"It's none of your concern as to how I act. Besides, this is you we are talking about. If I let my guard down enough, you'll have enough time to grope me." Sango seethed.  
  
"Well how about I make you a deal then." This cause Sango to finally look up and make eye contact with him. His face showed no signs of ulterior motive, but Sango still had a sneeking suspicion of the monk. Miroku smiled at her and began speaking again.  
  
"If I make sure to keep myself in line, do you think we could have a regular conversation? And I don't mean about Naraku and the jewel and what lies ahead for all of us. I mean just a simple conversation that has no meaning but at the same time is the most meaningful." he said to her. Sango looked a bit confused and uneasy about his words, but decided that she would play along with it...for now. Slowly, she nodded her head and looked towards the fire. Miroku smiled at her.  
  
He knew what she was thinking, but he promised himself that he wouldn't disappoint her by acting like his usual hentai self. He walked over to her and sat down on the log next to her, but not too close.  
  
"So monk, what do you want to talk about." Sango said a bit suspiciously. She still had no idea what the monk was planning.  
  
"I think more or less, life in general. I mean I guess I'm just curious as to what your life was like before and what your feelings are now." Miroku said heartfully.  
  
"Why would you want to know about that?" She asked.  
  
"I guess I'm wondering because I never really knew what it was like to have a normal family."  
  
"My family was far from normal. We were a family of demon exterminators remember?" she said.  
  
"Well, you still had a family...a father and brother to be around." Miroku knew he might be pushing it by mentioning Kohaku and her father to her, but he knew that since after their last run-in with Kokahu, she has been a little restless. She hides it well, but she still can't fool him. He was also awake when she would toss and turn at night whispering Kohaku's name into the wind. He had wanted to sit next to her and comfort her and tell her everything is all right, but he knew he couldn't. Not only would her reaction to him holding her make her throw her boomerang at him for years to come, but he also couldn't afford to be that close to her. He may long to hold her and be with her, but he knew it couldn't, not to mention wouldn't, happen. For now, he would settle on hopefully just being able to have a nice conversation with her. Maybe one day, he might be able to tell her his secret.  
  
"You know my story. Why are you asking it again?" Sango said.  
  
"Maybe your story, but not how you feel." Miroku retorted. Sango huffed out a breath of air and responded.  
  
"I'm fine. I don't see why this is your concern."  
  
"I am only asking because you do not seem yourself as of late." She looked at him oddly not sure as to whether or not to answer him. Miroku looked intently into Sango's eyes, silently telling her that he will know if she's lying. Sango let out a loud sigh. She knew that he wouldn't let this go until he got it out of her.  
  
"I guess I'm a little edgy that's all. Ever since I came face to face with Kohaku again, I haven't been able to focus as much." Miroku nodded at this but kept silent as to urge her to continue.  
  
"Truth be told I don't know what to do. I wish to save my brother and get him free of Naraku's grasp, but...I'm afraid that I might not be strong enough to do that." By then, a few tears had fallen from her eyes and she was trying to wipe them away with a shaking hand. Miroku didn't know why, but he stopped her hand before she wiped off the tears. She looked up at him as he held her hand close to her face. She was staring into those brown orbs of his tempted to get lost in them.  
  
"Its okay to cry. That's what I am here for." Miroku said.  
  
Then something, unknown to the gods happened. For some reason Sango threw her arms around Miroku's waist and cried on his shoulder. At first, he was a bit taken aback by her sudden closeness, but relaxed and gently rubbed her back in small little circles to soothe her. They had stayed that way for at least ten minutes until Sango finally started to calm down. She sat up and Miroku stopped rubbing her back. He looked at her tear stained face with a soft heart. He took his hand and wiped of the remaining moisture that was left on her face. Unconsciously, Sango leaned into his touch as he caressed her face with his thumb. Then their eyes locked onto one another's. Both seeming to be lost in the moment that seemed to never stop. Miroku soon realized what was happening and looked away. It was taking a lot of strength to refrain from saying anything about his secret. Slowly, he stood up, staff in hand, and turned away from her. Sango, a bit confused by his sudden withdrawl, let his name slip out of her mouth in a whisper loud enough for him to hear. He turned his head towards her, averting his eyes away from hers. His body still stood unmoved.  
  
"Where are you going?" She asked quietly.  
  
He sighed. "I must leave you now, if I don't, I fear that something will happen that you will regret later on." He gave her a smile trying to show that he was all right. Sango was a bit confused by his words, but his eyes said something. There was a glimmer of sadness and restraint that he was fighting to control at that moment. She just assumed that it was his natural henati ways and slowly nodded to him.  
  
"I will be back in a little while." Miroku said. Miroku turned his head and began to leave again.  
  
"Miroku?" Sango said. He stopped to look at her once more. "Thank you." She said simply. He gave her a small nod and a smile. When she looked into his eyes this time, she saw a bit of happiness in them, which made her even more confused.Miroku walked away from the camp and fire and slowly made his way through the woods.  
  
"What's going on inside your head monk?" Sango quietly asked to herself.  
  
When Miroku was a bit of a distance away, he sat down at the roots of a tree and sighed. "Sango...if only you knew."  
  
Ai - Thanks for the review! Sorry but this chapter isn't a lemon. I still don't have enough courage to write it just yet. However, the rating might go up due to a lemon. I'm not exactly sure yet.  
  
ReinaQueen - Here's an update! Thanks for your review!  
  
Sunnygurl357 - Thank you! I'm glad you like it so far! I appreciate it!  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	7. AN: Sorry!

AN: Sorry!  
  
I haven't been able to update my story because I am in the middle of mid-terms at college right now. Again I apologize, but I have about half of chapter 7 done and I hope to be able to post it within the next week. I hope you'll keep reading! Again I apologize! 


	8. The Tickle Monster!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or any of the characters related to this anime. Hopefully, when I'm rich and famous, I can buy them!!! Muwahahaha!!!  
  
Inu Yasha: Feh.like I'll let that ever happen.  
  
Author: *Tackles Inu Yasha to the ground* Take that!  
  
Inu Yasha: Ow! You don't have to be so mean!  
  
Kagome: See I told you he had a soft side.  
  
Inu Yasha: WHAT?! I DO NOT! LIAR!  
  
*Kagome and Inu Yasha bickering in the background*  
  
Author: Well.I think we should get on with the fic. They might be here all night.  
  
On with the fic!  
  
Skirting Around the Subject  
  
Chapter 7 - The Tickle Monster!  
  
Kagome only got as far as the living room before Inu Yasha tackled her down to the floor. She was now pinned between the floor and Inu Yasha with some, but not all, of his weight against her. He was quick to hold her hands above her head with one of his hands. She looked at his face only to see a glimmer of mischief showing in his eyes.  
  
"Feh.so now what are you gonna do?" said Inu Yasha in a husky tone.  
  
"Wha.What are you going to do to me?" Kagome squeaked.  
  
Kagome could hear a rumble from his stomach that sounded like a growl. She was starting to get nervous.  
  
"Feh.Just a little payback." With that Inu Yasha flexed his free hand right in front of her face. Kagome's expression on her face became that of terrified. Inu Yasha's hand quickly went to the side of her abdomen and proceeded to tickle Kagome. Kagome would have been absolutely shocked if it wasn't for the fact that she was being tickled. She began to laugh, but, at the same time, was desperately trying to free herself from the sweet torture.  
  
"Inu.*giggle*.Yasha! *giggle* STOP!" she laughed.  
  
"Feh! Just try me!" replied Inu Yasha with a smirk on his face.  
  
When Inu Yasha was still persistent with his mindless tickling, Kagome did the only thing her mind could think of.  
  
"Inu.*giggle* Yasha! *giggle* SIT!" she screamed.  
  
Needless to say, the tickling did in fact stop. Only now, Inu Yasha had his face and body pressed up against Kagome's. Their lips weren't even a centimeter apart.  
  
"Feh! Nice going! Now I can't even get up!"  
  
Just that little sentence caused both of their lips to brush against one another repeatedly. That simple contact was enough to send Kagome's stomach to do back flips. However, his comment didn't get past her either.  
  
"Well if you didn't start tickling me we wouldn't be in this position ya big dope!"  
  
Now it was Inu Yasha's stomach's turn to do back flips. Not only were their lips brushing past one another, but Kagome unconsciously pushed her forehead against Inu Yasha's and was squirming beneath him. Inu Yasha tried with everything he had to stifle an oncoming groan, due to Kagome's squirming, but failed miserably. At the sound of that, Kagome stopped squirming and remained still underneath him. She looked into his eyes and saw something that she had never seen in him.lust. Of course, she knew what that meant, the girls in school would talk sometimes. Yet, she was startled because he was staring at her and only her with that look in his eyes.  
  
To Be Continued..  
  
I know you guys hate me right now, but my projects and my mid-terms have taken up my life! I promise PROMISE to get another chapter up soon. I know a lot of you were hoping to have more than this go on right now, but I swear it will get up soon! I think the next chapter will end up being between Sango and Miroku and then another chapter on Kagome and Inu Yasha. I promise that chapter will be better than this one! Hope you'll still read!  
  
Thanks to reviewers:  
  
Star - Thank you for your review! I promise to write soon!  
  
Insano500 - I'm glad you like it! It makes me happy to know that you're following my story!  
  
ReinaQueen - Thanks for your review. Yes, Miroku is hiding something. It seems obvious to a lot of people probably, but you never know! I might decide to make it totally off the wall! Muwahahaha! I'm glad you like the sap ( I'll try and post the next chapter with them in it soon!  
  
Midnight Youkai - Hey! I'm glad to hear you like my stuff! I've read a lot of your stories and I think that they're awesome!  
  
Ryguy5387 - Thanks for your review! I'll post soon!  
  
Litoasngyrl - I'm glad you like it! I promise to post soon! Thank you!  
  
Sato - Thank you soooo much for that input! I didn't realize that I messed up the chapter names so I fixed it for you! Hehe the secret might be coming out soon or in later chapters, I haven't decided yet. As for the summary.I can't really think of anything to describe it so if you have any ideas, I'd greatly appreciate it! Much love!  
  
Inuyashakagomefan - hey thanks for the review! I know chapter six seems a little short and I know you'll probably want to tear my hair out for this chapter as well. *runs and hides* As for mid-terms I think they went pretty well and I just hope that I did all right on them. Haha the anticipation is killing me! I hope you continue reading!  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	9. ATTN: Stop Fic

Hey Everyone!  
  
Ok I'm having a few problems with continuing this story. Not only am I running out of ideas, but I am also growing tired of it. If you would like me to continue this fic, then please review this and say so. Otherwise, I will stop this fic and work on something else. There is a lot going on in my life, but if you would like for me to continue then I will. Just for you fans! Haha. Well anyways, if you want to.  
  
Please review! 


	10. Miroku's Confession

I'm not DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ok, ok you got me.I appreciate the reviews so I don't want to let you guys down! I will continue this fic! I guess you could say that college was beginning to stress me out a little bit. Finals came up way to fast for me! At least they're finally over! Yay! Now I can concentrate on my fic! Well at least for a few more days. You see, I'm going on vacation with my parents so I won't be back until January 9. I will try to put at least one more chapter up before then and I'll be writing while I'm down there! I hope you guys are still reading!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 8 - Miroku's Confession (His Secret Revealed)  
  
It had been over an hour since Miroku and Sango's encounter with one another and Miroku still did not return from his little walk. Whether Sango was worried or not, you couldn't tell by her face. At first, she was a little confused by his sudden withdrawal, but she shrugged it off. She decided that maybe a bath would be very relaxing right now. She stood up from her previous spot, gathered some things that Kagome had given her from her time, and proceeded to a hot spring that was near.  
  
When she arrived, she slowly stripped of her clothing and merged slowly with the hot water. She relaxed slowly and put her head against a rock nearby and closed her eyes. She heard a rustle among some leaves near her and quickly jumped, half expecting it to be the lecherous monk. She turned; ready to launch the closest thing to her, which happened to be a rock, at his head. The only thing was it wasn't Miroku. Instead, it was Kirara carrying some of Sango's clothing that she had forgotten. Sango blinked once, and then sighed, half in relief and half in sorrow.  
  
Deep down, she knew that she had wished that it would be the monk standing there, with his lecherous grin on his face. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought. She wadded slowly to the side of the hot spring and took the clothes from Kirara. The then stroked the fire youkai's back. Kirara purred in response to the touch.  
  
"I wonder what's going on with him?" Sango said out loud to herself. Kirara looked up at Sango and mewed softly. She repeated her sigh from earlier and continued to pet Kirara. If anyone had seen her, they might have thought that she was disappointed at Miroku for not making an attempt to touch her. She couldn't help but think that he was hiding something.  
  
"He would never turn away from me like that." She caught what she had said and tried to correct her mistake. "He would turn away from any of us like that. I wonder what is wrong with him?" Kirara looked up at Sango and mewed once again. Sango looked down at the cute little fire youkai. Her eyes lit up a little and she stood up.  
  
"I should just go talk to him. He wanted me to talk. Now I'll make him talk.one way or another." With determination, Sango quickly leaped out of the hot spring and rushed to put her clothes back on. She gathered the rest of her things and proceeded to make her way back to camp. Kirara was about to follow, but then noticed something in one of the bushes. Curiosity getting the better of her, she headed towards the bush instead of following Sango.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Miroku was hoping that Sango would be asleep by the time he arrived back at the camp site. However, when he got back, he was disappointed to see that she was gone, which meant that she was still up. Suddenly he heard some shuffling around in some bushes across from the fire. Thinking that it could be Sango, Miroku quickly sat down and made it look as though he was asleep. He was, in fact, right. It was Sango. He thought that he would be all right since Sango saw him "fake" sleep. Apparently she had other things in mind.  
  
She walked over to Miroku and knelt before him. She gently placed both of her hands on his shoulders and shook him slightly. Finally understanding what she was trying to do, Miroku tried to remain "asleep." However, Sango kept pushing. She continued to shake him until she became frustrated. Determined to wake him up, she smacked him across the head, which in turn, caused him to fly face first one foot before the fire.  
  
Miroku opened his eyes and screamed. "What did you do that for?!" he asked completely flustered and a little horrified.  
  
Sango shrugged. "You wouldn't wake up." Miroku, still trying to act as though he was sleeping, stretches and yawns. "Couldn't this wait until the morning?" Now Sango was getting suspicious. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
Miroku glanced her way and shrugged as if not understanding. "My dear, Sango. Whatever do you mean?"  
  
"Cut the crap Miroku! I know something is up with you!" With that she walked over to him and was within groping distance. "You haven't acted like your normal self since Inu Yasha and Kagome left earlier!" Miroku took a big gulp of air and step sideways, so he wouldn't step in the fire.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said as he separated his eyes from her blazing ones.  
  
"You're lying. I know you are. Why can't you just answer me?!" She screamed.  
  
Miroku was trying to maintain control within him so he wouldn't let his little secret slip out. However, he was not fairing well with Sango berating him the way she was.  
  
"I swear. I have no idea as to what you are going on about, my lady Sango." He replied, trying to hide any hint of dishonesty in his voice. However, Sango caught on to his little slip up with her name.  
  
She screamed in aggravation. "Why won't you just tell me?! I told you when you told me to let my feelings out?! You were there for me! Now why can't I do the same for you?!" If Sango wasn't so aggravated at the current situation she might have realized what she just said. Miroku did though. With that, he lost his control.  
  
"I can't let anyone be close to me.especially you." He said somewhat controlled. He finally looked back and met her eyes again. "It's because you're the one I fell in love with. The one I would want to spend the rest of my life with. But I am a forsaken man and can't let anyone close to me."  
  
Sango was shocked by his little speech.his declaration of love. She just stood there, a word could not escape her mouth even if she tried. All she could do was stare at him with confused and surprised eyes.  
  
Miroku chuckled. "I guess I'll be going on a walk again." With that, he began walking out of the camp again. 'I only hope that this time she is asleep before I get back.' He thought to himself.  
  
End of Chapter 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ok ok. I know that most of you probably already knew what his little secret would be. Gah! I'm sorry if this chapter is awful. But I wanted to give you guys something since you decided that you wanted me to continue this fic! Here's thanks to the people who changed my mind!  
  
inuyashakagome4everever  
  
Ryguy5387  
  
Sarah (AznGurl_89@yahoo.com)   
  
Sunnygurl357  
  
Greg (gregselmorr@yahoo.com)   
  
Sailorsaturn   
  
KEY (Tashina93@yahoo.com)   
  
moondust-angel  
  
Ariane Douleur  
  
Thanks to you guys! I will continue this fic! I hope to get an update in soon! 


	11. AN: Awful Accident Sorry!

Hey Everyone!  
  
I know, I know. The dreaded author's note. I just wanted to let you guys know that I am in fact still alive. Unfortunately my car isn't. I got into a serious car accident on the MassPike (like anyone knows what that is LoL). Now, I have to take a train into Boston everyday. I was going to finish writing the next chapter, only I've been side tracked with this awful turn of bad luck. But I promise to have it out soon!  
  
Hope you're still reading!!!  
  
* crickets chirping *  
  
damn..oh well. I promise it will be out soon!!!! 


	12. Stuck on You

I'm alive! Its just been so hectic in life lately, that I wasn't able to type this out and post it. But here it is! The long awaited chapter of Skirting Around the Subject.  
  
*crickets chirping*  
  
That was supposed to be applause. Well anyways, for those of you who are still reading this, here's the chapter with Inu Yasha and Kagome.  
  
Previously, in Chapter 7 in Skirting Around the Subject:  
  
At the sound of that, Kagome stopped squirming and remained still underneath him. She looked into his eyes and saw something that she had never seen in him, lust. Of course, she knew what that meant; the girls in school would talk sometimes. Yet, she was startled because he was staring at her and only her with that look in his eyes.  
  
Chapter 9 - Stuck on You  
  
Her eyes were glued to his face. Those eyes were so penetrating it sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to tear her eyes away from his, but couldn't. It was as if he could see into her soul at that moment. It was so intense that she couldn't take it anymore. She quickly closed the gap between them and kissed him fiercely.  
  
'Even if he doesn't care, I've wanted this since I realized that I am in love with him.' She thought to herself.  
  
What surprised her even more was that he was kissing back. But it felt good to actually have him respond to her. Unbeknownst to her, he was actually thinking along the same lines, so they met halfway. When Inu Yasha saw the look in her eyes, he could not control himself anymore. He launched his face towards her hungrily. He didn't see lust, but what looked more like a love that could be unconditional no matter who or what he became. He wasn't sure if it was true or not, but he could not let her go before he got an answer. He was also shocked that she was kissing him back.  
  
It took a minute or so before the two were able to pull away from each other. They could only stare into each other's eyes. Inu Yasha's lust was replaced with love and compassion, and Kagome's love showed even stronger. Unconsciously, Inu Yasha started to comb his fingers through her hair.  
  
They would have stayed like that for forever if Inu Yasha's ears had not picked up the front door opening up.  
  
'Damn' swore Inu Yasha under his breath. Kagome looked at him curiously as he picked himself up off of her. Then, he held out his hand to help her up. Kagome accepted his hand and got up off of the floor, still wondering what was going on. Then she heard the door slam shut and the next thing they knew, Souta was standing in the doorway looking at the two of them. He looked at both of them, and then saw that Inu Yasha was holding Kagome's hand out in front of him.  
  
"Yeesh! Sorry I interrupted! But could you just not do that! It's so gross!" Souta said.  
  
Both Inu Yasha and Kagome were confused and then moved their eyes to where their hands were still connected. Both jumped away from each other as Kagome's mother walked into the room. Both looked away and were as red as tomatoes.  
  
"Oh you two are home! How wonderful! Will Inu Yasha be staying for dinner today? If he wants I can cook Ramen." Said Kagome's mother.  
  
At the sound of the word Ramen, Inu Yasha's ears perked up and had a big smile on his face. "Ramen?!"  
  
"Hmph! Leave it to him to be all excited over Ramen." Said Kagome. 'Seems like he completely forgot about what happened just a minute ago.' With that in mind, she walked to the stairs and went up to her room. She closed the door and fell onto her bed. What she didn't realize that Inu Yasha did notice her leave of absence and decided to follow her. But before he could, Kagome's mother had something to say.  
  
"Inu Yasha, I know that you and Kagome have developed a closer bond to each other since you two have been looking for these jewel shards. Can I ask you.are you in love with her? It seems as though you two are by the way you act around each other." To say Inu Yasha was slightly taken aback by her forwardness would not do his reaction any justice. He fell flat out onto the floor anime style. It was equivalent to having Kagome 'sit' him a million times.  
  
"Errr.umm.uhhh.why would you ask that?!" He said now being defensive. "Now, now.no need to be so defensive. I know you care about her greatly, I was just wondering if you love her. But, guessing by your reaction, you haven't figured that out yet. Well forget I asked!" She said. "Oh! Could you please tell Kagome that dinner will be ready in a half an hour?"  
  
With that, Kagome's mother walked out of the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. Inu Yasha stood there dumbfounded trying to process what she had just said to him. Then, he remembered that he was supposed to tell Kagome that dinner would be ready in a half an hour. He proceeded to go up the stairs and fell short when he saw that Kagome's door was closed. He softly knocked on the door and let her name pass by his lips.  
  
"Hmmm?" was all Kagome could comprehend at the moment. She had dosed off into a twilight sleep for a little while. Slowly the door opened as Kagome lifted her head to see who it was. It was Inu Yasha. At first she might have thought that she was dreaming, so she flopped her head back down on her bed and proceeded to close her eyes again. He walked over and crouched next to her bed, their face a foot apart. Inu Yasha took one of his fingers and poked the side of her stomach. That erupted a slight jolt and a giggle. In a flash, Kagome was sitting halfway up on the bed staring down at Inu Yasha.  
  
"Stop that!" She giggled. "You know I'm ticklish."  
  
A smirk played across Inu Yasha's face when she said that. A flashback played in his head of when she was laughing when he tickled her not that long ago. He liked it when she laughed like that, especially if it was just for him. He looked at her again as she put her hand in front of her mouth as she let out a big yawn. Then she flopped back down to his eye level. Their faces were a mere foot apart again.  
  
"I'm tired."  
  
"Feh.a long day of tickling got you worn out? Feh.humans."  
  
Kagome tried to look mad at him, but just couldn't. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Then Kagome's eyes drifted away from his and her face turned serious. She was thinking about what she had said to him back in Feudal Japan. Now, she thought more than ever that she should apologize to him. She looked back at him, more serious than before.  
  
"Inu Yasha, I'm sorry for what I said before. You didn't deserve those harsh words."  
  
"Huh? Feh.you should wench." Said Inu Yasha.  
  
Now, if Inu Yasha had just accepted the apology and not have been arrogant, she would not have become upset at him.  
  
"Nani?!" I just apologized and this is what you say?! You are such a jerk sometimes!" Kagome pushed up on her arms on the bed so she was just above Inu Yasha as she was screaming. Just as before, she kept pushing her face towards his so their noses were practically connected. If it weren't for the angle, they would be kissing and screaming as before.  
  
Kagome's hand slipped off the edge of the bed and she went tumbling into Inu Yasha, knocking them both on the floor. Their foreheads collided as Inu Yasha's body hit the floor.  
  
"Oooow. That kind of hurt." Kagome said as she picked up her hand and rubbed her forehead.  
  
"Nice going. Can't you do anything right?" Was all Inu Yasha said. Unfortunately, their necklaces tangled together when they fell. When Kagome tried to pull up a little, her necklace tugged on Inu Yasha's and was trying to pull Inu Yasha up with her. Once she realized what had happened, she stopped trying to pull up. Instead she settled back down closer to Inu Yasha's neck. She let out a sigh. "Now we're stuck. Unless we can untangle the necklaces." Every breath that ran across Inu Yasha's neck sent shivers down his spine.  
  
"How are we supposed to get free?" Asked Inu Yasha.  
  
"Well it won't be that easy considering I can barely see our necklaces. But I think we can try and work it out if we sit up."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Inu Yasha began to sit up pushing Kagome up as well. Unconsciously, Kagome's spread her legs farther towards the floor until her knees touched when they sat up. From a distant sight, Kagome was straddling Inu Yasha's hips and they looked as though they were about to kiss. Once both of them realized the compromising position that had just been made, both began to blush.  
  
"Well lets see what we have." Kagome picked up the two necklaces and started to fumble with them. At that angle, Inu Yasha was able to rest his head on top of hers while she tried to undo the mess. He breathed in her scent and let out a sigh. Kagome heard this and it sent shivers down her spine, but kept on trying to untangle the necklaces. In a few minutes, she was able to untangle them both. She let both necklaces drop back into place and turned her head upwards to Inu Yasha's.  
  
She smiled and said, "All done." Even though, the necklaces were untangled, neither of them wanted to move from the current position. In a bold move, Inu Yasha closed his arms around Kagome and brought her to his chest. She willingly came and rested her head against his shoulder. Inu Yasha let out a small chuckle that Kagome couldn't help but notice. "What?" said Kagome. "I was sent up here to tell you that supper would be ready in a half an hour." "Okay then." After that reply, she snuggled even closer to Inu Yasha and he leaned more against Kagome's bed. The two sat in a peaceful silence. Both were content with just being able to be this way with one another for the first time. The silence that filled the room whispered all of the emotions running through each of them.  
  
Okay I know this took longer than expected! Gomen!!!!! After the car accident, I was shook up and since then, I have been trying to adjust to taking a train to school everyday. I should have it down by next week, hopefully. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know that people have been asking where Kagome and Inu Yasha were. I think this chapter is fairly longer than most, if not all of my other chapters. I hope you liked it!  
  
*crickets chirping*  
  
Ughhh.apparently there are no more readers left due to my constant bad luck. Heh.  
  
Inu Yasha: Feh.must be a bad story then!  
  
Authoress: *mumbles* stupid dog-boy.*  
  
Inu Yasha: I heard that!!!  
  
Authoress: Yeah with your dog ears  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	13. We've Come to Terms

Hey everyone! I'm not dead! I know this has taken forever for me to get out, but my computer has been busted for like two weeks. Stupid thing tried to create a dual-boot system without my permission! Die computer! *sledge hammers the screen* Hehe...oops.  
  
Well anyways, I'm glad that you guys like the last chapter! Here's chapter 10!  
  
Inu Yasha: Duh! That's what comes after 9.  
  
Authoress: Sit!  
  
Inu Yasha: Doesn't work when you say it ha!  
  
Kagome pops up from nowhere: Inu Yasha sit!  
  
*sound of Inu Yasha eating dirt*  
  
Authoress: Thanks Kagome!  
  
Kagome: Any time!  
  
One with the fic!  
  
Chapter 10 – We've Come to Terms  
  
Sango stood there dumbfounded. She had no idea what to say and was frozen in place. All she could do was stare back at him. After what seemed like an eternity, Miroku let out an exasperated sigh and turned to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" screamed Sango as she jumped out to grab his arm. "You can't be serious?! That's not possible!"  
  
Miroku chuckled to himself. "Well I'm guessing that you're not thrilled about it. But I can't say that I'm not surprised. I'll leave you now." He smiled one last time at her and walked away.  
  
At the present moment, all Sango could do was watch him walk away. Her legs weighed as much as a concrete block. Not only that, but for some odd reason, her heart ached. The monk's words were sinking into her. Now, she was waging war with herself in her mind and heart. She couldn't decide if she should will herself to move and chase after him, or let him be as he is.  
  
Miroku walked for about a quarter of a mile and took refuge underneath a nearby tree. Once settled and comfortable, he let out a long, exasperated sigh. He knew that he let his emotions get the best of him. That little secret of his was never meant to be public knowledge really, let alone to her. He let out a small chuckle, laid his hand against his head and settled comfortably.  
  
"I guess it was bound to come out anyway. I just wish it was under better circumstances. After Naraku was defeated would have been ideal. Maybe then, she would have taken me more seriously and not think that I just wanted her to bear my child. Then again, I've never actually asked her that as well."  
  
A small smile grazed across his face. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavy and he dozed off into an unconscious sleep. There was a rustle from a tree nearby and out stepped Sango. There were tears streaking down her face and her entire body was trembling. She had heard everything he said. There was no possibility of denial now, she had proof. Even though she was eavesdropping and that is unladylike, she couldn't restrain her curiosity. Slowly, she made her way to his sleeping form and knelt down beside him. For a few minutes, all she could do was stare at him. Then, slowly but surely, she lifted her hand to caress his cheek. Unconsciously, he leaned into her soft touch. In little time, she kept moving her body closer and closer to his. Miroku might have actually received a kiss on the cheek if it wasn't for his lecherous ways. His hand crept to Sango's rear and proceeded to rub. The all too familiar tingling feeling that always sent shivers up and down her spine was there. She looked up to see Miroku's eyes open and a grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Why Sango, my dear, I didn't know you cared."  
  
A loud slap was heard throughout the forest. One tree tops, some birds flew away. Sango was now on her feet staring the monk down as he rubbed the side of his cheek.  
  
"And you wonder why I never take you seriously, monk." The last word slipped off her tongue like venom. "You expect me to believe a word that comes out of your mouth?!"  
  
"Well, nothing is ever easy now is it?" replied Miroku, a smile still on his face.  
  
"And to believe I thought you were serious about us after Naraku's defeat." Sango turned to leave. As she was about to take a step, Miroku caught her arm to stop her. He was now on his feet; his face was monotone, only slightly pale, and his body trembling a bit.  
  
"You heard that?" His voice firm, but there was a hidden layer of anxiety stressed in that sentence.  
  
"Every word." She let out a small chuckle. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes. "Yet you do things like just now. How do you expect to be close to anyone?" she asked. Her gaze faltered down to the ground as she asked her question.  
  
"I don't." It was a simple statement that held a strong power of emotion. He had lost hope of ever finding someone to love and love him back; at least, the love him back part. "Things just aren't in my favor." As if to put emphasis on the point, he let go of her arm and held up his hand with the Kazaana embedded within. "I don't want it to end like this. Whether you believe me or not is your choice, but I do love you. If I get close to you and share my life with you, I want to know for sure that I will be able to make you happy and actually be there for you. I do wish to have children with you, but under no circumstances will I even attempt anything of the likes while I still have the Kazaana. I will not put you through any such grief."  
  
He had always wanted to explain everything to her. However, every time he would try, he'd run away convincing himself that the timing was just not right, when in reality, he was a coward. Well, apparently now was that right time. He let his emotions run like water over a fall, overflowing with love. Throughout most of the speech, he was able to look at her, at least until he admitted that he wanted to live happily with she as his wife and children as well. He looked away towards his right and gripped tightly onto his Kazaana. In all honesty, he was afraid to look at her out of fear. Fear of rejection that she did not share the same dream he did. He closed his eyes and held his breath, almost readying himself for a slap across the face. And he was, in fact, slapped. Only this time, it was lighter and held a higher amount of emotion that it normally didn't have. He turned to look at Sango, just in time to be hit over the head and knocked unconscious.  
  
He became conscious a few moments later, a little bit groggy and with a pounding headache. He refused to open his eyes. It felt as though he had been drinking all night with Inu Yasha again. Over and over he would lose to him, yet Miroku would still try to outdo the hanyou in sake tolerance. However, he felt slightly elevated and surprisingly, his head felt warm and comfortable.  
  
"Baka." It was an utterance only his beloved Sango could sing so clearly. He finally opened his eyes and looked up. There above him was the face of his only angel, her beautiful eyes staring back down at his sugar brown ones. The woman he did truly love, now if only he could stand being close to her. It may have taken a while, but he finally realized that his head was resting on Sango's lap. He blinked a couple of times then tried to move off of her lap.  
  
"Where are you going? You should just lay here and rest. Besides, its not like you would get this treatment all of the time." Sango knew that once she said that, he would stop instantly and lie back down on her lap. Miroku did as she predicted and settled back down on her lap. She started to run her fingers through his hari, untying the knot that is usually at the base of his neck. He tensed at this, but then decided to relax again. They stayed in a blissful silence for what seemed like eternity. Miroku sat upright suddenly and moved a bit further away from Sango. Now it was Sango's turn to be puzzled. He started to rise up to leave, but Sango caught his arm before he reached his knees. He looked at her and saw her eyes pierce their way into his soul. It wasn't a bad twinge, but rather one that two people who were meant to be together could only share. Finally, he was able to free himself from her questioning stare.  
  
"I can't do this. If this goes even the slightest bit further, I won't be able to control myself and hold back." He looked away from her, suddenly finding the ground interesting.  
  
Sango slid over to him and placed a hand upon his cheek. "Why? Are you afraid to be close to me. I don't understand you. You say you love me, yet you turn to run away from me." Tears were streaming down her face. Realization dawned on her the moment she came after him, even the moment she knocked him unconscious when she was angry that he did no say anything before. "Stop running and stop being so selfish!" she cried.  
  
Miroku could only stare at her for the moment. Her hand slowly slid off his cheek and into her lap while she let the tears fall freely down her face. He had never thought of her feelings before. Could it be that she might love him in return? To say he was perplexed is an understatement. He had always thought that she resented him and how he acted; his lecherous ways. Now it was his turn for sympathy. He took both of his hands and cupped her face. Tearstained or not, he still saw her for the goddess he always believed she was. He closed the gap between their faces and pressed a feather-light kiss to her mouth.  
  
Sango'n'Miroku4ever, Queen of All Chipmunks, c-dog, BoomBaby101, Ks- Starshine, moondust-angel. Thanks to all you reviewers. I really wouldn't have continued this story if you guys didn't say anything.  
  
I promise that the next chapter will be up soon (I hope so!) and it in one or two more, these two lovely couples will be rejoined! Till then! Ja ne!  
  
You know what to do! Please review! 


	14. ATTN: Gomen Nasai!

Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I know that I haven't updated in a long looonng time, but this semester has really taken its toll on me. I have been dealing with stacks and stacks of work for my finals on top of problems in my family life. But finals are over and all I have to deal with is family so hopefully it won't be as bad. Anyways, I should have a new chapter out by the end of the week! I hope someone's still reading this!  
  
*crickets chirping*  
  
Inu Yasha: Haha!!! They all left because you took too long!!!  
  
Authoress: *glares* You have no idea how much I want to hurt you right now. But!!! I can't because I love your dogs ears too much.  
  
Inu Yasha: Feh! Stupid humans. 


	15. Agreed?

Gomen! Gomen! I know I said I'd get this out last week, but some unfortunate incidents occurred at my house.......stupid people. Ayways, here's the next chapter for Skirting Around the Subject! Yeah!  
  
silence  
  
Okay, the crickets even left me now! Ahhh! I've reached a new low and for that, I truly apologize. I will try and get these out faster, I do not have any idea as to how many chapters are left, but I do know that in possible two chapters, I will have the gang back together! Yeah, like the invisible people reading this care!  
  
sniffles  
  
One with the fic!  
  
Chapter 11 – Agreed?  
  
After about fifteen minutes of a comfortable silence, Kagome decided it was time for them to head down to dinner, otherwise Souta would come bounding up the stairs and possibly catch them in their little position. She lifted her head from Inuyasha's shoulders and sat up to look at him. His eyes were closed and a strand of long hair rested across his face. Gently, she picked up the hair with two fingers and brushed it aside. Now her view of his sleeping figure was not marred by the strand of silver. A small smile tugged at the edges of her lips and slowly she began to rise from the current position. Inuyasha's hands that had encircled her waist slowly slid down her thighs and legs as they dropped to the floor, sending shivers through her spine. A tint of blush reached her cheeks as she stood up. Regardless of the fact that the gesture was innocent, she wanted more of it. Shaking her head a little, she turned to walk out the door, leaving the sleeping hanyou to his dreams. Kagome quietly closed the door behind her and she headed downstairs to join her family for dinner.  
  
A smirk graced Inuyasha's lips when her heard the door close and the sound of Kagome's footsteps lead away from the room. He opened his eyes, but stayed in that position for a little longer, remembering how just not that long ago, he had her in his arms. He was starting to dose off when she decided to get up, but he wanted to have a little fun with her so he made sure his clawed hands graciously made their way down her skirt-covered thighs and bare skinned legs. Deciding that he had had enough time to rest, he stood up and headed towards the door. He closed it behind him and headed down the stairs for dinner.  
  
"Oh! Inuyasha, my dear! I thought you were still sleeping. Oh well no matter, here sit down next to Kagome and I can get you your Ramen." This was the first thing Inuyasha heard as he slide the door open to reveal the Higurashi family eating dinner. Kagome had her chopsticks in her mouth at the time and they stayed there as she stared at Inuyasha. Kagome's mother was ushering him to sit next to her daughter, silently hoping that they would get together soon. A little shove here and there wouldn't hurt, especially if she wound up with grandchildren that had cute fuzzy ears! She quickly exited to the kitchen to retrieve the cup of "gold", or Ramen as it was, for Inuyasha.  
  
Back in the dining area, Inuyasha settled down into his seat next to Kagome. She finally snapped out of her revere and silently started to eat again. Kagome's grandfather was trying to give Inuyasha death glares from across the table, but Inuyasha ignored the facial expressions. He had lived with it all of his life, what difference does it make now? Souta was currently eating his food at a fast pace, barely taking the time to breathe. Kagome's mother emerged with an enormous bowl of Ramen noodles and placed it in front of an eagerly waiting Inuyasha. Kagome was practically finished with hers as he started.  
  
Inuyasha was able to finish his meal at the same time as Kagome, using the powers of demon speed combined with an empty stomach. He placed the bowl on the table and had a look of accomplishment on his face. Kagome stood up and gathered her plates along with Inuyasha's and headed towards the kitchen to place them in the sink. With Kagome gone, Inuyasha started to feel a bit uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room. Kagome's mother was looking at him with an enormous smile plastered on her face, her grandfather still sent death glares at him, and Souta continued to stuff his face with food. With a 'keh' slipping from his mouth, he left the table to follow Kagome to wherever she went.  
  
Kagome was just about finished rinsing off the dishes and placing them in the sink when she felt a presence standing behind her. She turned to see Inuyasha standing behind her, his face holding no particular expression, but his eyes saying something. She inwardly groaned, knowing what he wanted to say.  
  
'Yep, here it comes' she thought to herself.  
  
"So are we heading back to look for the shards now?" asked Inuyasha.  
  
Knowing that she wouldn't be able to persuade him to stay for a few days, she thought of a compromise.  
  
"Say Inuyasha, how about we stay the night and then head out in the morning?" Adding a giggle as she said it.  
  
"Keh...just for tonight." Inuyasha said a little above a whisper. "But we leave in the morning."  
  
Kagome beamed and launched herself at him for a hug. Caught a little off guard, Inuyasha stumbled back a step, but quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the hug.  
  
"Whoa! You guys sure are friendly! But it's still gross!" Souta replied when he saw the scene before him.  
  
The two quickly separated themselves, a blush creeping over both of their faces. Kagome turned to look at her little brother and glared at him.  
  
"Why don't you go play Playstation you little brat!" was Kagome's reply.  
  
"Sheesh! Don't need to bite my head off!" Souta said and quickly made his way over to the sink to place his dishes into.  
  
Kagome's mom soon followed with her and grandfather's plates, a smile still on her face as she walked by Kagome and Inuyasha. As Inuyasha watched her pass by him, she gave him a small, unnoticeable wink. A little confused by the gesture, Inuyasha just brushed it off. Kagome motioned to leave and head up to her room. With nothing else to do, Inuyasha followed her as she went up the stairs.  
  
Kagome's mother chuckled to herself. "He is a little dense isn't he?"  
  
Kagome opened the door to her room and was about to close it behind her, until she noticed Inuyasha behind her.  
  
"You have to stay outside; I need to change for bed." Said Kagome.  
  
"Keh..." was all Inuyasha did to reply.  
  
She closed the door and quickly maneuvered her way through her room towards her dresser so she could retrieve her pajamas. She quickly changed, knowing Inuyasha was right outside her door. She opened the door to let him into her room. Inuyasha walked towards the bed and made himself comfortable sitting on it, one hand extended upwards to hold his head. Kagome made her way towards him and sat down next to him. His ear twitched a little, acknowledging the movement, but he still paid no regards to her.  
  
"Umm.....so.....what do you think we should do for a sleeping arrangement?" asked Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha turned to look at her with a questioning glance. "What do you mean? I'm sleeping in here aren't I?" he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.  
  
"Well, you see, I don't know if my mom would allow that."  
  
"Of course I don't mind! As long as there's no funny business!" said Kagome's mother from the doorway, a pile of laundry in her hands. Somehow, Kagome didn't believe that her mother was just walking by.  
  
"See then it's settled, I'm sleeping here with you." Inuyasha voiced triumphantly.  
  
Kagome let out a sigh and stood up. She took a pillow off of her bed and looked for a sheet in her closet. She laid it out onto the floor and sat down in the middle.  
  
"Feh...what are you doing?" asked Inuyasha.  
  
"Getting ready for bed, what does it look like?" sarcasm clearly evident in Kagome's voice.  
  
"You're not sleeping there are you? I'll sleep there and you on your bed."  
  
Kagome grinned inwardly. 'Sometimes he can be sweet.'  
  
Kagome stood up and started to pull back the covers from her bed and got in. Inuyasha moved off of the bed and stood there as she got into bed. She was ushered a 'goodnight' to Inuyasha as she flicked off the light. Just as she was getting comfortable on her back, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Inuyasha kneeling in front of her bed. Quickly he pecked a kiss on her lips and mumbled a 'goodnight' before retreating to his side of the room. Kagome turned on her side to hide the blush on her face, even though her room was dark. A smile crept onto her face as she closed her eyes.  
  
'Yes sometimes he can be very sweet.' It was the last thought she had before sleep overcame her body. Inuyasha sat there watching her until her breathing had begun its rhythmic pattern. Slowly, he made his way over to the side of her bed and leaned against it. He felt more comfortable sleeping there than at the other end of the room. When sleep was starting to overcome him, a grin spread across his face as he reminisced about the day's events.  
  
Gyah! I know you guys probably think that not much happened in this chapter, but I wanted to try and have Inuyasha's character start to evolve as his feelings for Kagome became more apparent. Gomen if you didn't like it! Anyways, I accept constructive criticism, but I will not tolerate flames!  
  
You know what to do! Please review!  
  
Who knows maybe I can get these out faster if I have more encouragement! wink wink  
  
Until next time! 


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